Take a Breath of Space
by DetectiveLion
Summary: (Part One of TARDISbound. AU-Deviates from storyline) It's on a rainy evening in England of 2009 when Rose meets John in a quaint little cafe. Neither of them know it, but they have just changed the fate of the universe.


Rain was pretty much common around this time of year, what with winter approaching fast (thought personally she claimed it was already here) and the naturally cool climate of her home. Before, the mild temperatures had been as average to her as a thirty-five degree afternoon was for a Californian-that is, ninety-five degrees for the sake of any Americans out there. Then she had met the Doctor and he had taken her to a few planets where you would either freeze solid or melt if you stepped outside without a specialized suit. And so it was that the rainy day was actually pleasant rather than a hindrance, the feeling of water falling on her cheeks without burning her skin off truly a luxury.

She lifted her face to the clouds, throwing her arms wide with a gleeful cry, not caring about whatever strange looks she was getting. Her necklace gave a small rattle, the rose bouncing with the same joy its namesake possessed. As her excitement faded into a comfortable contentment, the blond tucked her necklace beneath the collar of her jacket.

When she caught the eye of a woman staring at her, Rose only gave her a cheerful wave and continued on her way. Now, admittedly, the visit to Earth hadn't exactly been planned. At some point in the Time Vortex the TARDIS had shuddered and they had been booted out of the Vortex and onto Earth. With the systems shut off and the control room glowing a dim red, the Doctor had sent her to go explore while he fixed the time machine he loved so much.

The raindrops continued to patter heavily against her hood until she reached her destination and slipped into its sheltering warmth. The scent of coffee beans and teas beckoned her to the counter, where she exchanged a few pounds for a cup of steaming hot chai. She turned to find a place to sit, only to find the few cafe tables already claimed. She shifted her eyes to the window, where the rain was still coming down hard.

Then, as though sensing her dismay, a boy, maybe about sixteen or seventeen, looked up at her. "Do you need a place to sit?" He asked, and gestured to the seat across from him. He was definitely American, though his voice held an undercurrent she couldn't quite place. When Rose didn't move, he gave an encouraging nod and even stood to pull out the chair. Smiling, Rose took the seat and thanked him.

"It's no trouble," he grinned behind his cup. "Though I wouldn't mind a small favor in return."

The girl lifted an eyebrow. "Well, now I'm worried." She said.

Immediately, the boy. "It's nothing, really! I just wanted to know what, um, year it is?"

The question took Rose aback. She gave a small laugh as she realized she didn't quite know. Though if she remembered correctly...

When she told him it was 2009, he nodded, seeming a bit lost in thought. She waited for few moments, then broke in, "But why wouldn't you know the year? Unless you've traveled through time..." Her grin was face-splitting.

The boy gave a laugh that sounded almost nervous. "Not me," he assured her. He never answered her question. Before she could call him out, he added, "My name's John, by the way. John Egbert."

"Egbert?" She repeated. He smiled and nodded. For the first time, she saw his front teeth jutted out in a rather large overbite. "Well it's a pleasure. My name's Rose Tyler."

Immediately, he broke into giggles. He had a funny way of laughing, with his knuckles held in front of his mouth almost sheepishly. At her bemused expression, the boy quickly explained, "Sorry. I just have a friend named Rose and a... ah, well, I know someone with the last name 'Tyler'."

"Really?" Rose gave him another grin. "Are we anything alike?"

"Not really," He said bluntly. "She's very... well, she's _Rose._" And Rose Tyler laughed and nodded as though the statement made sense, because it _did_.

"I know exactly what you mean," she said, a wistful sigh escaping her. For a few seconds, she thought of stars and planets and a big blue box spiraling through them all. Then she dropped her eyes to John and saw he, too, was staring off into nothingness. His lips were pulled into a small small, fond and wistful yet unbearably sad. Then, as though he sensed her gaze, he blinked and met her eyes, a flash of alarm showing on his face before it eased into a lopsided grin.

He lifted his cup to his lips, taking a long drink before peering inside. It must have been empty, for he turned in his chair and tossed it into a trashcan a few tables away. The couple sitting there jumped in fright.

Rose snickered. "Nice shot," she praised.

Immediately, he lowered his eyes as though embarrassed and mumbled a small 'thank you'. The blonde leaned back in her seat with an air of contentment and allowed her eyes to fall shut, bathing in the glory of having no need to run and no one to hide from.

_Clatter_.

She looked up. John was on his feet, eyes wide, face nearly white. His lively glow had vanished, replaced with a boy who seemed ill and tired and sad. "I gotta go!" He yelped, and bolted from the cafe. And Rose did what was natural, what had been carved into her brain by instinct and experience: she chased him.

The rain had stopped now, but her feet sent water flying into the air as they splashed through puddles. Despite the noise she was making, John didn't seem to notice her in his haste. She followed him into the alley between two buildings, just in time to see him disappear around a corner and a white flash illuminate the walls.

Rose skidded around the bend. John was gone, and all that remained of him was the smell of oil and something that reminded her of the wind.

* * *

**Detectivelion here! Welcome to my very first Homestuck fanfiction! Naturally, I went ahead and did a crossover/AU for that occasion. In regards to the AU, it's not huge, simply deviating from the storyline of both DW and HS. Meaning: The end of Season Two in DW never happened. As for Homestuck? You're just going to have to find out. ;)**

**Now, I do have an account on Ao3 if you prefer that format. Just look up Detectivelion or the title of this story and it should pop up. **

**Anyway, I'm off to get writing again. Or look at Tumblr and cry over updates, either one. Anyway, I hope to hear from you all in the future!  
**

**~DL **


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